The increasing demand of integrating electronic devices onto automotive, industrial, and customer platforms requires more sophisticated power conversion and distribution designs. Often these electronic devices include embedded processors, memories, and other electronic components that are operated from one battery source. DC-to-DC voltage converters are used to supply different voltages to the different electronic device
In pursuit of reducing the overall solution form factor for battery powered devices, there is an increasing trend of moving from two AA (2AA) cells (having a voltage range of approximately 2V to 3.2V) to a single AA (1AA) cell (having a voltage range of approximately 1V to 1.6V). The power stage for a typical DC-to-DC converter employs two field effect transistors (FETs) connected in series. The power transistors used for devices that employ a 2AA cell power source are usually high voltage devices (for reliability reasons) and would not conduct for 1AA cell voltage levels due to the high threshold voltages of these transistors. Using low-voltage transistors for the power stage solves this conduction problem, but there would be reliability related concerns when the same device is expected to work from two AA cells.